The Complete Guide to Jewellery Repair

Jewellery repair is the process of restoring a damaged, worn or broken piece to safe, wearable condition — anything from sizing a ring and re-tipping worn prongs to fixing a snapped chain or resetting a loose diamond. This guide explains the most common repairs, how they’re actually done at the bench, what they typically cost, how long they take, and how to choose a jeweller you can trust with a piece that may be irreplaceable. It’s written by a GIA Graduate Gemologist with 45 years at the bench in London, Ontario.

What Counts as “Jewellery Repair”?

Jewellery repair covers any work that restores the structure, security or appearance of a piece. Some repairs are about safety — re-tipping a worn prong before a diamond falls out. Others are structural — rejoining a broken chain or replacing a cracked ring shank. And some are cosmetic — polishing out scratches or re-plating white gold that has yellowed. A good repair jeweller weighs all three: is the piece safe to wear, is it structurally sound, and does it look the way it should?

The Most Common Jewellery Repairs

Most of what comes across a bench falls into a handful of categories. Here’s what each one actually involves.

Ring Sizing

Ring sizing makes a ring larger or smaller by adding or removing metal from the band, then seamlessly rejoining and finishing it. Most rings can move up or down a few sizes, though eternity bands, tension settings and some intricate designs have limits.

Re-Tipping and Rebuilding Prongs

Prongs are the tiny metal claws that hold your stones in place, and they wear down over years of contact with the world. Re-tipping adds metal back to a worn prong; rebuilding replaces it entirely. This is the single most important preventive repair — worn prongs are the number-one reason people lose diamonds.

Stone Setting and Replacement

Loose stones are tightened back into their settings; lost or chipped stones are matched and replaced. A gemologist can source a replacement that matches the colour, cut and clarity of your existing stones so the repair is invisible — something a shop without gemological training often can’t do well.

Chain and Clasp Repair

Broken links, worn clasps and pulled-apart sections are repaired or replaced. Fine and hollow chains are delicate work — laser welding lets us mend them cleanly without the heat damage a torch would cause.

Soldering and Shank Replacement

Soldering rejoins broken metal — a cracked ring, a separated jump ring, a snapped bracelet. When the bottom of a ring wears paper-thin after years of wear, we replace the shank entirely rather than just patching it, which restores the ring’s strength for decades more.

Rhodium Plating

White gold isn’t naturally white — it’s plated with rhodium, which wears off over time and lets the warmer gold tone show through. Re-plating restores the bright white finish, and it’s one of the most satisfying quick refreshes for an older white-gold ring.

Restringing and Refinishing

Pearl and bead strands are restrung — ideally with a knot between each pearl — before the thread fails and you lose them. Refinishing, which means cleaning, polishing and detailing, makes a tired piece look new again.

How Repairs Are Done: Soldering vs. Laser Welding

There are two main ways to join metal at the bench, and the difference matters for delicate work. Traditional soldering uses a torch and a filler alloy to bond metal — proven and strong, but the heat spreads, which can damage heat-sensitive gemstones, discolour the metal, or melt fine and hollow pieces. Laser welding fuses the parent metal itself with a pinpoint beam and almost no heat spread, so a jeweller can repair right beside set stones, mend the thinnest chains, and restore antiques without disturbing them. Most shops have a torch; far fewer have an on-site laser welder, which is why some repairs that one jeweller calls impossible are routine for another.

How Much Does Jewellery Repair Cost?

There’s no single flat rate, because repairs are priced on the work and materials involved. A simple chain-clasp fix is one of the least expensive jobs in the shop; a full shank replacement in platinum costs more because of the metal and the labour. Precious-metal prices also move with the market, so the same sizing can cost a little differently from one month to the next. Any reputable jeweller will examine your piece and give you an exact, no-obligation quote before starting — and the assessment itself should be free.

How Long Do Repairs Take?

Many everyday repairs — battery changes, simple sizings, clasp fixes, prong tightening — can be done the same day, often while you wait, when they’re handled on-site. More involved work like custom stone matching, full restorations or sourcing a specific replacement gem takes longer. The biggest hidden delay in the industry is shipping: shops without a bench mail your piece to a third-party workshop, which adds days or weeks and means your jewellery is travelling out of sight. On-site repair is faster and keeps your piece in one place.

“Can It Be Fixed?” Repairs People Assume Are Impossible

A surprising amount of “unrepairable” jewellery can be saved. Hollow rope chains, fragile antiques, broken eyeglass frames, cracked enamel and pieces with stones that supposedly can’t be removed are routine work for a jeweller with a laser welder and the right experience. If another jeweller has told you a piece can’t be fixed, it’s worth a second opinion before you give up on it — the answer often depends on the tools and skill available, not the piece itself.

How to Choose a Jeweller for Repairs

Three questions tell you most of what you need to know. First, is the work done on-site or shipped out? On-site means faster turnaround and your piece never leaves the store. Second, who is actually doing the work — is there a trained gemologist or goldsmith at the bench? Credentials like a GIA Graduate Gemologist matter when valuable stones are involved. Third, do they quote before they start, with no charge to look? Transparent, no-obligation quoting is the mark of a shop that’s confident in its work and not padding the bill.

Caring for Your Jewellery to Avoid Repairs

The best repair is the one you never need. Have your prongs checked once a year — it’s usually free, and it catches problems before you lose a stone. Take rings off before heavy work, the gym and gardening. Store pieces separately so they don’t scratch one another. Clean them gently at home and have them professionally cleaned and inspected from time to time. Small habits dramatically extend the life of a piece and head off the repairs that hurt most.

Jewellery Repair FAQs

Is it cheaper to repair or replace jewellery?

Repair is almost always cheaper than replacement, and it preserves the sentimental value and craftsmanship of the original — especially for heirlooms and older pieces built to a quality you’d pay a premium for today.

Will repairing my ring damage it?

Done properly by a skilled jeweller, a repair restores a ring without compromising it. The risk comes from inexperienced work or the wrong technique — which is why who does the repair matters as much as the repair itself.

Can you repair jewellery that isn’t gold?

Yes — silver, platinum, stainless steel, titanium and many other metals can be repaired, though the right technique varies by metal. Laser welding in particular handles metals that traditional soldering struggles with.

Do I need an appointment for a repair quote?

At most independent jewellers, no — you can walk in, have your piece assessed, and get a quote on the spot, free of charge.

Bring Your Repair to Daniel A Jewellery

Every repair at Daniel A Jewellery is done on-site in London, Ontario by a GIA Graduate Gemologist with 45 years at the bench — your piece never leaves the store, and most repairs are completed quickly, often the same day. Walk in or call ahead for a free, no-obligation quote. Daniel A Jewellery, 467 Wharncliffe Road South, Unit 3, London, ON N6J 2M9. Phone: (519) 660-8383.